Repairs to the centuries-old Kyiv Pechersk Lavra complex could extend for approximately two years, an official overseeing the site said on Tuesday, after damage to multiple buildings during an attack that set the Dormition Cathedral’s roof alight.
The monastery, which dates back nearly 1,000 years and forms a prominent component of the UNESCO World Heritage designation, suffered a blaze on the cathedral roof within the expansive religious and cultural precinct. The complex’s golden domes have been a long-standing architectural feature over Kyiv’s skyline.
Ukrainian authorities have described the incident as a deliberate strike by Russian forces. Moscow denied targeting the monastery and asserted on Monday that the damage was caused by a U.S.-made Patriot air defence missile.
Maksym Ostapenko, director general of the Pechersk Lavra complex, told Interfax Ukraine that firefighters prevented flames from spreading into the interior of the Dormition Cathedral, but that more than 80% of the 11th century cathedral’s roof had been damaged. He added that, in addition to the cathedral and the Ivan Kushchnyk Tower, a further 17 sites across the complex were affected.
Ostapenko put the financial impact of the damage at in excess of 500 million hryvnias, the equivalent of about $11.2 million using the exchange rate cited by authorities. Emergency services mobilised nearly 100 rescuers to stabilise the roof structure and to dismantle damaged elements with specialist engineering equipment.
On Tuesday, workers installed panels over missing sections of the cathedral roof and secured windows to reduce the risk of harm to the building’s fragile interior. Authorities specifically noted concerns for frescoes and religious artefacts housed inside the cathedral.
Emergency service officials said two helicopters were deployed on Monday and collectively dropped more than 97 tons of water as crews worked to extinguish fires across the capital that followed the attack. Local reports stated that five people were killed and 44 were injured in the wider incident.
Officials indicated that the scale of the physical damage, the need for specialist engineering interventions, and the conservation-sensitive nature of the interior artworks and architecture contributed to the estimated two-year repair timetable. The attribution of responsibility for the strike remains contested between Ukrainian authorities and Russia, and assessments of the damage continue as stabilisation and protective measures proceed.